U.S. patent number 4,680,028 [Application Number 06/626,968] was granted by the patent office on 1987-07-14 for flexible breast receptor for breast pump.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Lact-Assist, Incorporated. Invention is credited to Herbert H. Stuart.
United States Patent |
4,680,028 |
Stuart |
July 14, 1987 |
Flexible breast receptor for breast pump
Abstract
A breast receptor for a breast pump having means for creating a
vacuum within the breast receptor in which the wall thicknesses of
the flexed portions of the receptor engaging the nipple and areola
are reduced in order to produce optimum lactating conditions,
including optimum responsiveness to the external touch stimulus,
and which will most nearly simulate the mouth of a suckling
infant.
Inventors: |
Stuart; Herbert H. (Nashville,
TN) |
Assignee: |
Lact-Assist, Incorporated
(Nashville, TN)
|
Family
ID: |
24512613 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/626,968 |
Filed: |
July 2, 1984 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/74; 604/316;
604/75 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
1/06 (20130101); A61M 1/82 (20210501); A61M
1/066 (20140204); A61M 1/064 (20140204); A61M
2205/075 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
1/06 (20060101); A61M 1/00 (20060101); A61M
001/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/DIG.21
;119/14.31,14.47-14.52 ;D24/14,23,24,47,51,55
;604/74-76,316,212 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pellegrino; Stephen C.
Assistant Examiner: Kruter; J. L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lackey; Harrington A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a breast pump for the human breast having means for creating
a vacuum, a breast receptor comprising:
(a) a skirt having a single frusto-conical wall of flexible
material and a longitudinal axis, and terminating in a large open
annular rim for receiving in substantially flush engagement a human
breast in a lactating position, and having a small open end portion
opposite said large open end, said smaller open end portion being
larger than the nipple of the said human breast so that the nipple
extends through said smaller end portion in said lactating
position,
(b) the angle of the frusto-conical wall with respect to said
longitudinal axis of said skirt being approximately 40-50 deg.,
(c) an elongated hollow stem having a tubular wall, a longitudinal
axis, and first and second opposite end portions,
(d) the skirt wall of said smaller open end portion merging with
the stem wall of said first open end portion to define an axially
continuous transition portion means, said first open end portion
being large enough to receive the nipple of the breast extending
through said transition portion means in said lactating
position,
(e) said transition portion means extending from said first open
end portion of said hollow stem and flaring toward said annular rim
to occupy a substantial portion of said skirt wall, the axial
length of said transition portion means being greater than midway
between the smaller end portion of said transition portion means
and said annular rim,
(f) an elongated receptor tube having a tubular wall of
substantially uniform thickness having one end merging with the
stem wall of said second end portion, and having an opposite open
end adapted to be connected in fluid communication with the means
for creating a vacuum,
(g) the thickness of said stem wall decreasing from its second end
portion toward its first end portion,
(h) the thickness of said annular rim being great enough to engage
and establish a vacuum seal against the corresponding portion of
the breast in said lactating position,
(i) the thickness of the wall of said transition portion means
being substantially less than the thickness of said annular rim to
facilitate collapsing of said transition portion means upon the
sides of the nipple and the areola received within and engaging the
interior surface of said transition portion means in said lactating
position,
(j) said single frusto-conical skirt wall having an outer surface
freely exposed to the grasp of a human operator for squeezing and
relaxing said transition portion means,
(k) the thickness of said transition portion means being
sufficiently reduced to permit the optimum transfer of human touch
stimulus by finger squeezing the exterior of said transition
portion means and sufficiently flexible to contract and expand in
response to the varying air pressures within said receptor against
the sides of the nipple and the areola in said lactating position,
to cause the release of the Human Prolactin Hormone, and
(l) the thickness of the wall of said receptor tube being
sufficient to prevent said wall from collapsing when the air
pressure within said receptor tube is reduced under normal pumping
action by the means for creating a vacuum.
2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the thickness of the
transition portion means is substantially less than the thickness
of the wall of said receptor tube.
3. The invention according to claim 1 in which the thickness of the
wall of said transition portion means is substantially uniform.
4. The invention according to claim 1 in which the thickness of the
wall of said transition portion means is less than one-half the
thickness of said annular rim.
5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said angle is
approximately 45 deg.
6. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising means for
creating a vacuum including a vacuum pump and a control valve
member in fluid communication with said opposite open end of said
receptor tube.
7. The invention according to claim 1 in which said skirt, said
stem and said receptor tube are integral and made of material which
may be autoclaved.
8. The invention according to claim 7 in which said material is
transparent.
9. The invention according to claim 7 in which said material is
thermal-setting silicone rubber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a breast pump, and more particularly to a
breast receptor which will simulate the mouth of a suckling
infant.
Breast pumps having breast receptors of various constructions are
well known in the art, such as those disclosed in the following
U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ 316,584 Turner Apr. 28, 1885
1,156,202 Barrett Oct. 12, 1915 1,670,610 Colby May 22, 1928
1,847,656 Lasker Mar. 1, 1932 2,060,063 Frimand Nov. 10, 1936
2,222,811 Dinesen Nov. 26, 1940 3,738,363 Lunas et al Jun. 12, 1973
3,782,385 Loyd Jan. 1, 1974 3,822,703 Davisson Jul. 9, 1974
3,911,920 Susinn Oct. 14, 1975 4,263,912 Adams Apr. 28, 1981
______________________________________
Of the above patents, the following U.S. patents disclose breast
receptors of plastic or elastic material:
______________________________________ 3,738,363 Lunas et al Jun.
12, 1973 3,782,385 Loyd Jan. 1, 1974 3,822,703 Davisson Jul. 9,
1974 3,911,920 Susinn Oct. 14, 1975 4,263,912 Adams Apr. 28, 1981
______________________________________
Although the above Adams U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,912, teaches
variations in wall thickness (13, 15) in a breast receptor 12,
nevertheless, the walls of the Adams breast receptor are thinner
toward the outer flared end portion of the receptacle in order to
simulate a peristaltic pumping action upon the breast.
None of the above patents disclose a breast pump incorporating a
breast receptor in which the merging portions of the frusto-conical
walls of the skirt and the wall of the tubular stem are relatively
thin compared with the remaining wall portions of the receptor to
increase the flexibility of these merging wall portions for the
maximum suckling effect in response to the pumping action, and for
optimum transfer of the touch stimulus from the hand of the mother
to her breast through the wall of the receptor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a breast
receptor which is capable of very nearly simulating the "suckling
effect" of an infant.
Another object of this invention is to provide a breast pump having
a breast receptor, which not only is transparent and may be
autoclaved, but also is capable of massaging the breast in response
to the negative pressures produced in the receptor.
Another object of this invention is to provide in a breast pump, a
breast receptor having a thin wall area engaging the nipple and the
areola when the breast is received in the receptor to maximize the
transfer of the touch stimulus from the fingers of the mother
through the wall to her breast.
A further object of this invention is to provide in a breast pump,
a breast receptor having variations in its wall thickness such that
the portions of the stem and skirt, which are in engagement with
the nipple, areola and adjoining breast portions, are very thin,
the outer rim of the skirt is substantially thick for establishing
a vacuum seal against the breast received within the receptor, and
the tubular conduit and adjacent portion of the stem have
relatively thick walls to prevent collapsing under negative
pressures created by the pumping action to permit free flow of the
milk from the receptor to a milk receptacle.
In a preferred form of the breast pump, the breast receptor is made
of transparent, flexible, homogeneous material which may be
autoclaved, and more specifically a thermo-setting silicone
rubber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a breast pump, including a
breast receptor made in accordance with this invention receiving
the human breast in a lactating position; and
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional elevation of the
breast receptor and a portion of the milk receptacle disclosed in
FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the breast pump 10,
disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a breast receptor 12, made in
accordance with this invention, a bulb or bulb pump 13, a control
valve member 14, a flexible suction tube or conduit 15, a bottle
coupling device 16 for connecting the receptor 12 and the suction
line 15 to a conventional milk receptacle, such as a baby bottle
17, and a baby bottle cap 18. Except for the unique construction of
the breast receptor 12, the remaining elements of the breast pump
10 are essentially disclosed in the prior application of Herbert H.
Stuart and Kathy S. Smith, Ser. No. 437,347 for a "BREAST
PUMP".
The breast receptor 12 includes the frusto-conical or flared skirt
20 of flexible material having its large end open for receiving a
human breast B (FIG. 1) in a lactating position. The smaller end of
the skirt 20 is also open and is in fluid communication with one
end of a tubular stem 21, which is integrally formed with the skirt
20 of the same flexible material. The other end of the tubular stem
21 is reduced in size, but opens into one end of the receptor tube
or conduit 22. The opposite end of the receptor tube 22 is also
open. As disclosed in the drawings, the receptor tube 22 is also
formed integrally with, and of the same flexible material as, the
stem 21 and the skirt 20.
The degree of flare of the conical skirt 20 is such that it will be
comfortable and substantially engaging most of the surface of the
portion of the breast B received in its lactating position within
the skirt 20. In order to render the skirt 20 comfortable to the
breast B and also to accommodate breasts of varying sizes, the
skirt 20 preferably has a flared or tapering wall of approximately
40.degree.-50.degree. to the longitudinal axis L of the skirt 20,
and more specifically at approximately 45.degree. angle to the
longitudinal axis L. If the flare angle is substantially greater
than 50.degree., the seal between the skirt 20 and the breast B
will become ineffective in maintaining the vacuum within the
receptor 20. If the flare angle is substantially less than
40.degree., only smaller size breasts B may be comfortably received
within the skirt 20. Moreover, in many instances, the breast B will
not be received deeply enough within the receptor 12 for the
optimum suckling effect and lactating actions to be described. When
properly seated within the receptor 12, the nipple 24 of the breast
B is adapted to extend into the stem 21 as illustrated in FIG.
1.
Thc receptor tube 22 is preferably cylindrical and has a uniform
wall thickness substantially throughout its length, which is great
enough to prevent the tube 22 from collapsing under a reduction of
internal air pressure when a vacuum is created by the actuation of
the pump bulb 13. The wall thickness of the tube 22 is also great
enough to provide stability and sealing engagement with the bottle
coupling device 16, in order to provide free fluid communication
between the interior of the tube 22 and the interior of the bottle
or receptacle 17.
The other end portion (the upper end portion disclosed in FIG. 2)
of the receptor tube 22 gradually enlarges and merges into the
lower end portion of the substantially cylindrical stem 21. The
wall thickness of the merging transition area 25 between the tube
22 and the stem 21 may be substantially the same or slightly
greater than the wall thickness of the receptor tube 22.
The wall thickness of the stem 21 then gradually decreases from the
transition area 25 to a point 26 (FIG. 2) which is substantially
the terminal end portion of the cylindrical stem 21. From the
terminal end portion 26, the wall of the receptor 12 flares
outwardly to form the transition portion 27 between the stem 21 and
the smaller end portion of the skirt 20. The wall thickness of the
transition portion 27 is substantially uniform from the terminal
end portion 26 to a point 28 located more than midway between the
end portion 26 and the outer annular rim 30 defining the large open
end of the skirt 20. The axial distance between the annular rim 30
and the terminal end portion 26 is represented by the distance
X(FIG. 2); while the axial distance between the annular rim 30 and
the terminal end portion 28 of the uniform wall thickness of the
skirt 20 is represented by the distance Y (FIG. 2).
The portion of the receptor wall between the points 26 and 28 is of
uniform thickness, and is quite thin, being less thick than any
other portions of the wall in the receptor 12.
The wall thickness of the transition area 27 and the flared skirt
wall 20 between the points 26 and 28 is preferably less than 1/2 of
the thickness of the annular rim 30, and approximately 15-25% less
thick than the tube wall 22.
In a typical construction for the breast receptor 12 having an
overall length of 4.875 inches, the tubular wall thickness of the
tube 22 is 0.094 inches, increasing to 0.104 inches in the
transitional area 25 and then substantially reducing in thickness
by 0.027 inches to a thickness of 0.077 inches at the terminal end
portion 26. The wall thickness between the points 26 and 28 remains
substantially uniform at 0.077 inches. Then the wall thickness
gradually increases from the point 28 to an annular rim thickness
of 0.1875 inches. In this particular receptor 12, the outer
diameter of the annular rim 30 is 3.530 inches and the skirt is
substantially frusto-conical having a flare angle of approximately
45.degree. to the longitudinal axis L (FIG. 2).
In the above example, the distance X is approximately 1.504 inches
and the distance Y is 0.570 inches. Moreover, the distance Z, from
the annular rim 30 to the point 31 between the lower end of the
stem 21 and the transition area 25 is 2.049 inches.
The gradual reduction in the wall thickness of the stem 21 toward
the outer end of the receptor 12 provides the necessary flexibility
to permit the upper or outer end portion of the stem 21 to more
easily collapse on the side walls of the nipple 24, including the
areola, as the pump bulb 13 is actuated to increase the vacuum
within the stem 21. The reduced thickness of the transitional wall
area 27 also permits the collapse of this thinner wall area against
the areola and the adjoining surface of the breast B when received
in lactating position within the receptor 12, as illustrated in
FIG. 1.
Furthermore, the reduction in thickness of the receptor wall
between the points 26 and 28 permit the fingers F of the mother to
more readily squeeze or collapse these thin wall portions against
the sides of the nipple 24 and the surrounding areola to produce a
greater transfer of touch stimulus to these parts of the breast
B.
The quality of the touch stimulus is critical for the release of
the Human Prolactin Hormone (HPrl), which is necessary for the
production of protein fat, sucrose, lactose and other nutrients by
the milk production glands of the breast of a lactating woman. The
nerve endings in the nipple and areola apparently have the ability
to differentiate the quality of this touch stimulus, thus making
the thinner wall between the points 26 and 28 all the more unique
in this function.
The increase in wall thickness from the point 28 in the flared
skirt wall 20 outwardly to the annular rim 30, which is the
thickest portion of the receptor 12, provides a firmness and
substantial rigidity in the rim 30 to engage the corresponding
portion of the breast B and to establish the vacuum seal between
the breast B and the interior of the receptor 12.
The breast receptor 12 is not only made of flexible material, but
is preferably made of a material which can be readily autoclaved.
The preferred form of material in the manufacture of the receptor
12 is thermo-setting silicone rubber. The material from which the
receptor 12 is made, is preferably transparent, so that the
operation of the receptor 12 and the flow of milk within the
receptor may be easily observed.
The bulb pump 13 is a conventional bulb pump having a rear check
valve 33 and a front check valve within the front portion 34 of the
bulb 13. The bulb pump 13 functions in a conventional manner to
create a vacuum within the suction line 15 when the bulb 13 is
squeezed to position 13' and relaxed, in a conventional manner.
Any type control valve may be used, such as control valve member 14
disclosed in FIG. 1 and described in the co-pending application of
Herbert H. Stuart et al, Ser. No. 437,347, in order to regulate the
negative air pressure within the line 15, and ultimately within the
receptor 12.
The coupling device 16 may include a disc-shaped connector 42 of
slightly lesser diameter than the internal diameter of the cap 18,
so that the connector 42 may loosely fit within the cap 18. A pair
of tubules 43 and 44, preferably of equal length and size, extend
entirely through the connector 42 and are spaced sufficiently close
to each other that their outer ends will extend through the opening
45 existing in the conventional bottle cap 18.
The tubules 43 and 44 extend through the connector 42 and are
preferably an integral part of the connector 42. The inner ends of
the tubules 43 and 44 depend below the plane of the connector 42 a
sufficient distance to prevent capillary action when liquid, such
as milk, passes from the receptor tube 22 downward through the
tubule 43 and into the milk bottle 17.
The major portions of the tubules 43 and 44 project from the upper
side or plane of the connector 42, so that the outer end portions
of the tubules 43 and 44 are telescopingly inserted into the open
ends of the respective receptor tube 22 and suction conduit 15 with
a tight sealing fit. The interior of the milk bottle 17 will then
be in fluid communication with the breast receptor 12 and the
suction line 15, which, in turn, is in fluid communication with the
control valve 14 and the bulb 13.
In the operation of the breast pump 10, all of the parts are, of
course, sterilized or autoclaved, and fitted together to be
assembled as disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The breast pump 10 does not require any professional operator, so
that the nursing or lactating mother alone, may handle the
operation of the breast pump 10. The skirt 20 is placed over the
breast B in a snug fitting relationship with the nipple 24
extending into the stem 21. The skirt 20 may be held in initially
snug sealing relationship against the breast B by the fingers F of
the mother, while the other hand, not shown, may be used to
periodically pump or squeeze the bulb 13.
The flexibility of the thin wall portions of the skirt 20 and stem
21, permit periodic suction within the receptor 12 to contract and
expand about the breast B, thereby massaging the breast B and
particularly the nipple 24 and the areola, to express milk into the
stem 21 and through the receptor tube 22 into the bottle 17.
The reduced pressure in the suction line 15 not only is transritted
into the receptor 12 through the bottle 17, tube 22, and stem 21,
but is also effective in drawing the expressed milk through the
stem 21 and into the bottle 17.
The bulb 13 is preferably pumped at the normal sucking frequency of
an infant at 70-120 strokes per minute, and the pressure within the
breast receptor 12 is reduced to the mean pressure of a suckling
infant, which is -50 to -150 millimeters of mercury, with a maximum
suction of -220 millimeters of mercury.
The natural flexibility of the silicone material in the wall of the
receptor 12 provides an opposite pull to the action of the bulb
pump 13.
The expressing or lactating action is assisted by the mother's
fingers F squeezing and relaxing the thin wall area of the skirt 20
and the transition area 27 about her own breast B. Although such
manipulation is optiona1, nevertheless, it is recommended in
conjunction, and in synchronism with the squeezing and relaxing of
the bulb pump 13, in order to substantially duplicate the suckling
action of a nursing infant.
It is further recommended for successful operation of the breast
pump 10, to pre-moisten the interior silicone surface of the
transition area 27 and the skirt wall 20 as well as the portion of
the breast coming in contact with the thin wall area of the
receptor 12, to further simulate or mimic the motion of the tissue
of the breast B when being suckled by a nursing infant.
* * * * *